Seven Ways to Drastically Cut Your Cleaning Costs

Keeping your house clean can seem like a never ending chore. Even worse, keeping your house clean can seem like it costs an arm and a leg at times. From bathroom cleaner to kitchen cleaner to scouring pads to mop solution and more, it seems like the list of things you need to buy is never ending. Keeping your house clean, however, doesn’t need to break the bank. Here are some great ways you can cut down the costs of keeping your home clean.

Start using vinegar
Most people are aware that vinegar can be used in cleaning, however, most people don’t realize the many different ways vinegar can be used as a cleaning aid. Distilled white vinegar is cheap and a little bit goes a long way. Investing in some vinegar can save a lot of money on cleaning supplies, and is a healthier alternative to filling your home with dozens of unknown chemicals, such as those found in many household cleaners.

Maintain clean
It can be easy to let the bathtub go without a cleaning until you start to see a ring, however, do regular cleaning before it is visibly needed can not only save you time on your knees scrubbing out stubborn tub rings, but it can decrease the odds you’ll need to resort to more intense (and more expensive) cleaning products. This goes for more than just the bathtub though. A simple wipe down of the sinks, counters and floors in the bathroom and kitchen can go a long way in reducing buildup of residue and nasty who-knows-what in your home.

Buy store brands
I love Mr. Clean Magic Erasers. Those nifty little sponges can lift nearly any stain. I’m never lacking amazement as that sponge lift away a spot I’ve been scrubbing for over an hour with a rag or scratchy pad in less than thirty seconds. However, I’m not a fan of the price. I used to hold off on buying these miracle sponges because of the price, but soon, my local grocery store started carrying an off brand of the miracle sponges. I was hesitant at first, but the sponge worked just as well and got the same job done. Buying off brand cleaners can save you a lot of cash, so if you need to purchase cleaning chemicals, opt for the cheaper, less expensive brand. The labels may not be as fancy or pretty, but if you check the ingredient list, they’re usually close to the same.

Refill your mop cartidges
I love using my Swiffer Wetjet, but I don’t love buying those cartridges for it all the time. You can make your own cleaning solution out of vinegar and water, or even all-purpose cleaner (such as Pine-sol or the off brand equivalent) for pennies on the dollar. The refills for the Clorox Ready Mop are easier to open up and fill than the Swiffer cartridges, however, with a little patience, you can save a significant chunk of money.

Make reusable mop pads
Again, despite how much I love my WetJet, I don’t love buying those expensive (and gross) pad refills. $15 for a pack of pads that will likely only last a week or two really adds up; especially with all the spills and messes that happen on my laminate flooring. Instead of buying these pads, you can make your own reusable pads. If you have a Clorox Ready Mop, you can use an old rag or towel and simply tuck the edges into the holes on the top of the mop head. If you use a Swiffer WetJet, it can be a little trickier; either sew some elastic onto both sides of an old towel or rag, or wrap a towel or rag around the mop and put a rubber band on each side. You’ll save money, and you’ll be helping the environment by throwing these rags into the washer and reusing them! If you don’t have any rags lying around, I find that prefold diapers are the perfect size for these mops.

Choose cleaners wisely
If you’re going to invest in cleaning chemicals, choose wisely. You don’t need a specialized chemical for every portion of your bathroom. Investing in chemicals that go a long way, such as Pine-sol, comet and bleach go a long way. Of course, I buy the off brand version of all of these chemicals, but they last a long time and serve a variety of purposes. These three cleaners are what I consider to be the cleaning “staples.” If you have these three, you don’t need anything else.

Use coupons and shop around
When buying cleaning supplies (even vinegar and baking soda) always use coupons if you have them available. However, when using coupons, make sure that the price with coupon is less than the off-brand product’s price. If the coupon doesn’t make it lower, then it isn’t worth spending the extra, even with a coupon. Additionally, you can check online for cleaning supplies too. I go through Comet cleaner pretty often and have found that buying the brand name in bulk from online is actually cheaper for me than buying the off brand in the stores. By planning ahead, I save a pretty significant chunk of money, and I always have comet on hand.

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